Final Fantasy XV oneshots
by VanillaSpecs
Summary: One-shots of various ships, some I might develop into standalone stories later on. Smutty-Fluffy. Main ships - Promptis, Gladnis, HighSpecs but not limited to these.
1. Jealous are we?

Noctis' POV

After talking with Wreskam for a while we decided to find a hotel to stay at for the night. I was thinking over Camila's proposal on the way there, she said we could discuss terms if I go to visit her but she also invited us to this party or something, following that it'd be good for me to socialise what with me becoming the new King soon. "Hey guys… What d'you think about going to that party thing tomorrow?" By the look on their faces there's mixed feelings. Prompto looks utterly excited to think about it, Gladio looks uncomfortable and Ignis simply looks unphased. "Perhaps it's wise you attend Noct. Aside from widening your social boundaries a little, you could relax and have a bit of fun" Spoken like a true adviser. "I'm with Iggy, we could all use a bit of a break, who knows maybe someone will have a lot of fun~" Ignis rolled his eyes but Prompto burst out laughing, even I couldn't help but laugh a little at that.

"Then we'll go, Prompto looks like he's craving attention~"

"Hey! That's not fair Noct! I've gotta stay loyal to Miss Cindy! It's Gladio that needs attention just look at him!"

"Don't bring me into this shorty, I see you staring at almost every woman we walk past"

"He's not wrong. You really make it obvious"

"You're all gangin' up on me! This isn't fair!"

"He has a point about you Gladio~ Maybe you should work your charms on one- Ow!" I rubbed my shoulder after Gladio punched me, grinning as he did so. "I'll show you kids how it's done, wait and see~"

We found a hotel not far from the town centre, it had a nice view of the town and the docks so it was worth the price. It just occurred to me Specs has been quieter than usual ever since we arrived. Usually I hear comments here and there but today he's been out of character, he didn't even seem mildly amused by Gladio's joke earlier. I decided to try and track him down to ask and where better place to look than the kitchen. Though I was disappointed not to find him there, so my next plan was to consult the others, thankfully they weren't hard to find. "You guys seen Specs?" Gladio looked up from his book and merely shook his head. "I though he was with you, oi Prompto, seen Iggy?" He also just shook his head, pausing his game to turn and look at me. "What's up Noct? He's probably just gone to guy some stuff to dinner, check by the store, hey wanna come play once you've found him?" It was a tempting offer but I had a lot to take care of. "Maybe another time, play with Gladio" Prompto just looked at me and then at Gladio, "He doesn't play like you! We work so well together- No offense big guy" He just grunted and continued reading his book, what was so interesting about it I'll never understand.

Maybe it's better if I just wait for Ignis to come home, it's more efficient than me running around trying to find him at least. "Hey Noct? How comes you're so desperate to find Iggy? He's a big boy y'know, he takes care of us 3 more than himself", Prompto came and sat himself next to me, looking quite worried by the looks of it. "It's just… Ever since we arrived he's been quieter than usual, haven't you noticed? He didn't even chuckle at Gladio's joke earlier and normally he'd at least smile. I'm just worried is all, he doesn't say anything if there's something wrong…" He patted me on the shoulder and sighed. "Even I've noticed to be honest, the closer we got to coming here the more on edge he seemed, he's _really_ good at hiding it but maybe all of us having the night off tomorrow is what he needs, he's been busy after all" I just nodded and thought about it, trying to think of something that could be making Ignis like this. He's always so calm and collected, thinking rationally, looking out for us however he can, I guess even a guy such as him can crack. "C'mon, let's play King's Knight before Specs gets back"

*A few hours later*

"Noct… Wake up"

I heard footsteps coming towards me and then someone flicked my nose with a sigh. Slightly irritated I woke up ready to shout at whoever it was but to my surprise it was Ignis. "Specs? When did you get back? What time is it?" He checked his watch and looked at me again, an eyebrow raised as if he was surprised I fell asleep. "Quarter to 1, in the morning. You and Prompto fell asleep, it's a shame, if you hadn't you would've beaten the boss level" I groaned and looked at the TV, "Damn it! Prompto! This is your fault! Anyway, where have you been? I was looking for you earlier" I watched as he stood up and started clearing away the mess in the living room. Our room was more of a small flat than a standard hotel room. "I had some errands to run and I just returned. Apologies for being gone so long and without notice. What did you need me for?" I sat up, getting my bearings before standing up to see how much of a mess there actually was. I don't remember it being so bad, nor do I remember falling asleep. "I uh- I wanted to ask you what's wrong, you seem different than usual ever since we got here" I noticed he visibly stiffened a little at my question but quickly composed himself. "I assure you, it's nothing to worry about, it'll pass. On another note, during my errand run I took the liberty of picking up something for you to wear tomorrow. You can't go to a formal event looking like that, I left it in your wardrobe to avoid creasing" He was about to walk off so I grabbed the sleeve of his jacket and looked him in the eye. "You're not telling me something. Iggy I've known you since we were 8, you can tell me anything, regardless of the fact you're my adviser you're also my best friend- Don't tell Prompto" He smiled meekly and tugged his arm free. "While I appreciate your concern Noct it isn't necessary, you have other things to be worrying about right now. For example, your wedding is in a matter of days and you need to prepare yourself to face Leviathan" I didn't break eye contact the entire time he was talking and now I see. As I looked into his green eyes I could see the change in them as he spoke. My getting married was making him as on edge as myself, but not for the same reasons obviously. As for the covenant, I'm not worried. "Suppose you're right. Hey, Iggy… Tomorrow night, you're not there as my adviser, you're there as a friend so do what you want alright? I already told Gladio and Prompto the same" He nodded and smiled again halfheartedly, "Much appreciated. If you don't mind I'll retire now, it's been a long day, goodnight Noct" I just watched as he walked down the hall and disappeared into his room, I guess I may as well go to bed too, tomorrow's going to be a very long day.

*The next morning*

I wandered lazily into the kitchen, wondering what both Gladio and Prompto were staring at until I looking and realised Ignis wasn't wearing his glasses and hadn't done his hair this morning. Now I understood their odd stares, I snuck behind the sofa and joined them in staring. "Figured it out yet?" Gladio looked at me and shrugged, Prompto looked scared and worried but rightly so, Ignis never leaves his glasses behind and always does his hair in the morning. I didn't see a problem with it, it was nice to see him looking so natural, his hair sticking up at weird angles suited him oddly well considering his serious attitude and without his glasses my heart was sent aflutter. "If you three are quite finished gawking would you mind setting the table?" Prompto hopped over the sofa, continuing to stare even as he set the table. "Honestly what are you staring at? It's rude to do so if you weren't already aware" I looked over as Gladio stood up and folded his arms. "Iggy are you okay? You're not wearing your glasses… And your hair isn't looking like a cow licked it" All I could do was watch. Either this was going to make Ignis blow a casket or he'd reply calmly, no in-between. "I merely fancied a change, no need to overthink things, do I really look that bad naturally?" The three of us exchanged glances and seemingly agreed he looked better, not that we'd say that to him. "You look alright Iggy, it's just odd for us to see you like you've just rolled out of bed~" Ignis didn't look convinced in the slightest but carried on dishing up breakfast. "I'll remember that next time you want something, keep that in mind, by the way Gladio please don't cut off the buttons on the shirt for later" Gladio cleared his throat and I assume that was already his plan, or he'd already done it. "Too late Iggy, shoulda said that when you give it to me" I half expected Ignis to scold him verbally but instead he just picked up his breakfast and raised an eyebrow, in which case Gladio went to get the shirt. Ignis was very much mothering us, it would be amusing to an outsider but we relied heavily on him.

A couple of seconds later Gladio returned, shirt and buttons in hand and gave them to Ignis. "This time I'm going to find thread with metallic fibres, perhaps then you won't break them off so easily and it'll last longer" He rushed off down the hall and a few minutes later I heard the front door close. "You guys ever feel like he rely on Specs a bit too much?" Both of them turned around and looked at me, then each other, "You could say that, without Iggy we would've starved and gone feral by now, or been killed by Imperials- Maybe not killed but… You guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Prompto immediately looked excited for some reason, "Oh! I know! Wait- No, I forgot what I was gonna to say, nevermind!" I rolled my eyes and continued eating until Gladio decided to pipe up. "Why don't we just give Iggy the day off, rather than just this evening, Noct?" Since I had a mouthful of food I just nodded in reply and he grinned, slapping Prompto on the back hard enough to make him yelp. It was probably unintentional, probably being the keyword.

Throughout the day while Ignis was out we cleaned up the room, making sure everything looked as it would if Ignis had cleaned up. Meaning as spotless as we could get it. Although we were all exhausted, even though this is next to nothing for Specs, it was a productive day. We even managed to make some decent sandwiches without burning the place down. "My you've all been productive today, are you feeling alright? Here, good as new, just please don't ruin it again…" I hadn't even heard the front door close nor Ignis' footsteps, he placed the shirt (neatly folded I might add) on top of Gladio's head and took as seat in the armchair by the window. "Thanks Iggy, I owe you one" I couldn't help but stare at him, goodness knows why but when I look at Ignis I feel perfectly fine, like there's not a care in the world. "I see you kept the bedhead look, it suits you Specs~" I received an embarrassed smile in return, I also noticed he wasn't wearing his gloves like usual, today really was an odd day. "Perhaps you three ought to start getting yourselves prepared for tonight, I'll start making something light since it's almost 7 o'clock, ideally we should leave by 9 o'clock latest" I jumped up, lightly kicking Prompto and Gladio to get up so we could get sorted. It wouldn't take long but it really is getting closer to when we should leave. "Don't worry about food Specs, there's bound to stuff there, just get yourself ready" He merely shrugged and did as I said.

By about 7:30 I was showered and half dressed, my only problem was this god forsaken tie. Since someone else always did them for I'd never learnt to tie one. Maybe Ignis will help, Gladio would just laugh and I'm not sure even Prompto knows how to do one. The outfit as a whole was nice though, it was clear who picked it out. White dress shirt, black blazer, black jeans and I decided to wear my boots rather than dress shoes, it looked weird otherwise and I like smart casual. Oh and a black tie. I grabbed the infernal thing and made my way to Ignis' room, forgetting my manners I walked in while he was getting dressed and just stood there transfixed. I'd never seen this much of Ignis' skin before, it isn't a lot since it was just the shirt that wasn't buttoned up at all but still. "Uh- Sorry Iggy- I just wanted to see if you could help me with this…" He turned around and I had to look away to avoid blushing, even though I could feel my cheeks heating up already. The next thing I saw was his outstretched hand and I handed him the tie, he could've buttoned up his shirt before helping me… I didn't know where to look. "There we are. Were you watching that at all or should I teach you how to do it another time?" I cleared my throat and tried to act normal. "Maybe teach me another time, I was kinda distracted…" He raised an eyebrow at me but didn't say anything more. I should probably leave and let him continue but I wanted to see more. He was wearing similar clothes to me, even the idea of boots, but his shirt was black and there was a white tie hung loosely around his shoulders. I'd never noticed how mesmerizing the contrast of the black against his pale skin was until now, I have the urge to reach out and touch him but I know that's improper in his eyes. "Noct? Everything alright?" I snapped out of my thoughts at the sound of his voice and nodded. "Yeah uh- Sorry, thanks for the help Specs, I'll see you in a bit, sorry again for walking in on you" I backed out of the room and closed the door behind me, leaning against it to try and compose myself.

Once I got back to my room I just laid on my bed and stared at the ceiling. I must be going mad. But then again, it's not the first time I've had thoughts like this towards Ignis, he doesn't know it either. As hard as I try, I can't just get rid of them, I love Luna but I don't think I do in the same way as Specs. Luna is much more a friend to me than a lover, she always has been. Ignis has always been my best friend but… Despite myself I've developed strong feelings for him over the years. The real question is, do I tell him? "Noct! You ready buddy? We gotta go!" I checked my phone and it really was almost 9, how long was I laid there for? "Coming!" I grabbed my blazer and threw it on, putting my phone in my pocket and quickly brushing my hair. All three of them waited outside for me, I noticed they all wore something similar but slightly different in a way. Gladio had a short sleeve black shirt and a dark red tie, Prompto wore his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a royal blue tie and Ignis wore a long sleeved shirt with a white tie. He'd likely roll his sleeves up later on though. "There you are, shall we?" I nodded and we started walking towards the venue. I wasn't entirely sure where it was but the other seemed to know well enough.

"Here we are. This should be a nice change of pace no?" Ignis held open the door and we filed inside, it was indeed an elegant place, good job one of us had the idea to get smarter clothes. "This is so nice! Look at the details on the ceiling! Guys! There's a huge speaker!" Prompto seemed unbelievably excited to be here, not that he wasn't wherever we went but, more so here than I've ever seen. There were a lot of people here and it made me nervous just thinking about how many I'd have to talk to. "Well guys, I did say we're taking a break, you're all off duty. Hey Gladio, how about showing us some of that charm you've got?~" I followed Gladio and Prompto down the stairs, leaving Ignis looking over the railing at the crowd below. It seemed like hours before Prompto decided Gladio should accept defeat, not a single woman responded to his 'manly charm', I thought it was highly amusing. "Hey hey Noct, I found Iggy, he's got a lady friend~" I looked over to where he was pointing and my heart sank slightly at the sight. "Who know our Iggy was a smooth talker, you could learn something Gladio~" He yelped so I assumed Gladio flicked his ear or something. "Shut up. Noct what's that look for? You look ready to sprint over there- Hang on a second- Is someone jealous?~" I immediately glared at him, clicking my tongue and turning away. "Of course not. He deserves it" I meant that. Ignis really did deserve to be happy, I could see from here that he was smiling genuinely, his eyes had a light in them I hadn't seen in a while. I just can't help but feel… I don't even know. I just want to touch him, to run my fingers through his hair and show him what he means to me but… That's impossible.

She seemed like a lovely woman regardless. Beautiful, sparkling eyes, long brown hair, slender figure and a pretty smile. If they end up together by the end of the night I won't be surprised. It makes me realise I need to get over my feelings and accept reality for what it is. I can't have Ignis, regardless of how much I want him. "Noct~ You've been staring at them for too long for it not to be creepy or concerning. C'mon, let's go grab a bite!" Prompto tugged on my arm and I followed him, not able to get the image of them out of head. I checked the time and it was only 12 o'clock, I'll leave at 1, they can stay if they want. "Ah Prince Noctis, pleasure to finally meet you, I trust you're having a good evening?" A tall man stood beside me and I thought about ignoring him but then I thought about the scolding I'd get tomorrow. "Nice to meet you, it's a very nice event, it's nice to be around so many people after so long away. Might I ask your name?" He extended a hand and I shook it, as I should. "I'm just a friend of Camila's, my name isn't important, I'm here on her behalf. I just wanted to give you her address for when you wanted to meet her, here" He handed me a card, an address written on the back. "Thanks, it's a big city, you've helped me out" He smiled and nodded. "I'll be seeing you Prince, enjoy the party, oh and tell your friend not to worry, someone will be interested sometime" I smiled and looked at the card again, shoving it in my pocket and running to catch up to Prompto.

After a bite to eat and a few more tedious conversations, I felt like I should leave, I scanned around once for Ignis but he was nowhere to be seen. "I'm gonna go guys, I'm beat, I'll see you tomorrow" They waved at me as I left and the cold air was a blessing after enduring the heat in there. I felt bad for leaving so early but I didn't feel like staying, not without Ignis at least. It's selfish of me to think that way, I shouldn't be so possessive over him but when I think back to how happy he looked, genuinely happy at least, with that woman it makes my heart ache and my skin crawl. Am I jealous? Of her? I haven't seen Iggy smile that way in a long while. I wandered aimlessly around for a little to try and clear my head but I needed to see him and tell him how I feel, even if it's unacceptable and foolish I need to get it out of my system. Maybe then I'll finally get over it and be able to get on with things. I've got hell of a fight soon and I'm getting married. Unfortunately the thought of being with Luna just doesn't make me feel the same way as when I'm with Specs. I'm so screwed. Rather than stay out in the cold I returned to the hotel room, I was half tempted to knock on Iggy's door and see if he was in but then again… Maybe it wasn't wise. Instead I just sat leaning with my back against it.

I started drifting off until I suddenly fell backwards, staring up at Ignis looking very confused. "Noct…? What on earth are you doing?" I felt my cheeks heating up gradually as I thought of an excuse. As I did so I caught sight of a couple of dark marks on his neck, he tried covering them quickly and my heart skipped a beat, it felt like it was sinking the longer I stared. He also looked quite worn out and scruffy, meaning his shirt was half unbuttoned, his tie hanging low and loose, if his hair could be any messier it was now. "Um- Have I ever told you how pretty your eyes are?" That was a crap excuse, if you could even call it that. "No? Though the sentiment is appreciated. Now what are you doing sat against my door like a lost child?" I could have sworn I heard the click of a camera, but that was nearly impossible. He kneeled down and raised an eyebrow at me, waiting for a feasible answer which I couldn't give without embarrassing myself. "I just needed to talk to you, but it looks like you're busy" Now I think about it, that seems even weirder. "As a matter of fact I'm not. Perhaps a chair would be better than the floor, come on" I sat up, crawling into his room and taking a seat in the chair while he sat on the bed. "Now that you're comfortable, would you mind elaborating?" I shifted nervously and tried looking anywhere but at Ignis, it proved more difficult than I would've liked. "I just don't know what to do Specs… I want to see Luna again but I don't love her like a partner, I have strong feelings for someone else…" I snuck a glance at him in thought, hoping I wasn't too transparent about it. "Then considering Lady Lunafreya is and was your childhood friend perhaps she'll understand. It may be improper of me to ask but, who managed to sway your feelings that way?" He's toying with me, I can tell by the mischievous look in his eyes. "You know damn well who I'm talking about, you've known all along haven't you?" He grinned at me put his hands up in defeat. "Indeed I did. You can tell a lot from looking at Prompto's photographs. If they weren't enough then the jealous look on your face earlier certainly was" Now I just wanted to melt and disappear, but god damn, I wanted to take a picture first. Even Gladio can't make smug look sexy despite his tries. "You- Why didn't you say anything if you knew? And what about that woman from earlier?" He looked ever so amused and my reaction, I just wanted to wipe that smug look off his face one way or another. "It wasn't my place to do so, if you really felt that strongly about it, you would've said something and here you are. As for the lady, we merely used eachother for mutual benefit, I'm not going to go into the details" I was just lost for words.

"Bastard. You're a genius but a goddamn bastard, you know that?" There was that grin again, he knew that all too well. "No Noct, I'm merely a tactician, you should know that by now. In any case, you get jealous very quickly" I felt my eyebrow twitch involuntarily and I stood up abruptly. "Then let me show you what happens when you make me jealous~" He look momentarily confused until I pushed him back and pinned him down. Then I was mesmerised by the lust in his eyes, I forgot how weak I was against his stare, in any shape or form. "I wasn't lying when I said you have pretty eyes Iggy~" He blushed lightly and pursed his lips, I thought that was cute but I know he's not that innocent. "Time for payback Specs~" I took off my tie, covering his eyes and tying it tight enough that it wouldn't slip off but not that it would hurt. "I have a bad feeling about this… What are you planning to do?" I wasn't ignoring his question, but it'll be self explanatory. I unknotted his tie and used it to tie his wrists together, using the excess to tie them to the bar on the headboard, giving both bindings an experimental tug to see if they would hold. "I wish I had a camera… Since you're not objecting at all, does that mean you return my feelings hm Specs?" His face, silence and body told me all I needed to know but I wanted to hear it. "If it's not already apparent… Yes" I leaned close to his ear, unbuttoning his shirt as I did so, "Then let me show you just how long I've waited for you to say that~" I just realised I wouldn't be able to get his shirt off entirely but unbuttoned would do, I plan on keeping him there anyway. I'll admit seeing Ignis looking so vulnerable was odd, especially compared to his normal collected self, this is a side I never thought I'd see. Even as children he was always so fenced in and composed, half the time it was like speaking to a wall and smiles were rare. Right now he's the complete opposite, it's funny how much younger he looks without glasses and his hair styled, it's almost like I'm looking at a teenage Iggy. Almost, this one is slightly more unruly.

I ran my finger tips down his side lightly, watching him shudder and twitch. I kicked my shoes off and sat back on my knees just admiring the view for a moment before leaning forwards and stealing a not-so innocent kiss, running my fingers through his hair with one hand and balanced myself with the other. I nipped at his bottom lip, begging for entrance almost but he wouldn't give in, so I resorted to grinding my hips which in turn made him gasp ever so slightly but enough for me to take advantage of. The low growl I got for that was oddly satisfying to hear and it seemed involuntary. Needless to say when I broke away and looked at my handy work, I achieved my goal, laid at my mercy was a very flustered and aroused Ignis. "Now wouldn't it be annoying if I left you here like this?~" He just frowned and gave me a cocky grin. "You wouldn't dare~" I hadn't expected a reply like that, not from him at least. I stripped off my shirt and blazer and threw them god knows where, my jeans and undergarments swiftly followed suit. "You're right, I'd miss out on this~" For some reason I felt my cheeks heat up as I unbuckled his belt, then again, even in a daydream I'd never gone this far. "'Cause I'm curious, you're not a virgin are you Iggy?" He pursed his lips for a moment, I knew he wasn't already but just to make sure I wasn't making it up. "Well- Not exactly. In either sense before you ask" His face was turning redder by the second and it was highly amusing. I didn't know Iggy was into men and women though, learn something new everyday. It hurt a little that was the case but nevermind, I intend to be his last partner. To ease off his embarrassment at my question, it was kinda forward to ask, I turned his head to the side and place light kisses down his neck to his collarbone. Going back to leave my own marks on him. I sat up again, finishing my work on his jeans and sliding them off to join my clothes, undergarments included. Now my problem was that damn shirt. I leaned over and untied his hands so he could sit up, I took the opportunity to finally take it off so it would join the rest of our clothes. Removing the tie over his eyes too, I wanted to see them. I leaned forward again and stole another kiss, gradually pushing him back onto the bed, I shivered a little at his touch, watching as he traced lines along my face and down to my chest. I took his hands and put them above his head, "Keep your hands here, no covering your face~" He narrowed his eyes at me but complied all the same.

As a distraction of sorts I began another assault on his neck, all the while I pushed a finger into him and grinned when he flinched at the intrusion. I'd rather not cause him anymore pain than I can help, so once I felt him relax a little I added a second finger and this time he growled, I feel like it's a big turn on for me 'cause I was growing very needy. Deciding to experiment a bit I curled my fingers, at which Ignis surprised me with a quiet moan, I continued just that until he was practically panting. "You should know… You're a tease Noct-" I sat up and grinned, adding a third finger to see how much more he could take. His breath hitched and he arched his back as soon as I did so, eyes closed and panting like a dog, moans slightly louder this time. Enough torture for now, I'll get another chance. I retracted my fingers and he relaxed, slowly calming down. "Too much for you Iggy?~" He gave me another cocky grin, looking at me square in the eyes. "Do your worst Noct~" He didn't need to tell me twice. I gripped his hips and entered him slowly, the heat was unbelievable at first but it quickly turned pleasurable, I didn't move until I saw Ignis's face clear of pain. Going slowly at first was something that I needed all my remaining restraint for, I just wanted to screw him into the mattress and show him that he's mine, I held him wrists above his head with one hand and gripped onto his hair with the other, tugging his head back so I had access to his neck. I started a slow rhythm so he could get used to it, slowly speeding up as his moans got louder and I could even hear him cursing under his breath, I knew I'd be too loud if I didn't suppress myself so I stole kisses here and there. I bit down on his shoulder at times, he didn't seem to mind or I wouldn't have done so, but I can say those bites are gonna be nasty bruises by morning, I didn't do it mercifully. Gladio and Prompto are going to think he was abused or had a lot of fun with that woman.

I hadn't fully realised the headboard was hitting the wall because of me until I slowed down a little, feeling him gradually tighten around me made it clear he was as close to the edge as I was. I sat up and gripped his hips once more, angling myself to hit his sweet spot, he covered his face and I immediately pinned his wrists either side of his head. One look at his face was all it took to finish me off, seconds after I felt warm liquid hit my stomach and Ignis was shaking so I knew that was him finished. I pulled out lazily, grabbing a couple of tissues from the bedside table to clean the mess off us and laid on top of him. His heart was going mad by the sounds of it but it was slowing down as well as his breathing. "I might have to make you jealous more often~" I looked up at him and rolled my eyes. "I don't think you could take it~" I rolled over and laid next to him, grabbing the blanket to cover us. "So, what now Noct? What are you going to do?" It wasn't something I wanted to think about right now, but it was now or never. I know what I want but… "I want to be with you. I want you to be more than just my adviser or best friend. I want you to be my partner" He turned onto his side to look at me, I couldn't help but look at his eyes, glazed over and sleepy. I loved their colour so much. "Then perhaps that can be arranged" I smiled and turned to face him. "So what did you do to that woman?" He threw a pillow at me, laughing and rolled over. "That's a tale for another time" I had to know. "Iggy please~ It's killing me, I gotta know. If it was for mutual benefit what did she want?" He looked at me over his shoulder with an eyebrow raised. "Think about it carefully, what could a woman possibly want from a man who also needed her services?"

"You didn't!?"

"I never said a thing. You're assuming things"

"Iggy!~ Tell me!"

"No. Go to sleep or you can sleep in your own room"

"Please~ I'm begging~"

"Perhaps you'd rather I demonstrate?"

"Um… Yeah maybe another time"

"That's what I thought. Go to sleep"

…

"Iggy?"

"Yes?"

"Did you?"

"For goodness sake Noct…"


	2. Breaking the mask

With the young Prince Noctis having to train with his future Shield, naturally his chamberlain and future Adviser would oversee sessions and eventually participate in combat training of his own. On top of the extra education and taking care of his charge. Gladio was more interested in testing how far he could push Noctis' 'babysitter', as he often called Ignis, though not to his face. During these session was the only time the Shield and Chamberlain came into contact, however minimal it may be at the moment, so curiosity was at its peak of course. "Oi. Four-eyes. Wanna give it a shot?" Ignis looked unphased by the minorly offensive name, Noctis looked more than happy to take a break. "No," The blunt tone made Gladio's eye twitch in irritation. For weeks Ignis had been observing training sessions but didn't move an inch at all, unless it was to fetch bottles of water or towels, sometimes the medical kit. "C'mon! What do I gotta do to make you fight? Noct needs a break so why don't you show me what a nerd like you can do?" Noctis glanced over to Ignis with a slight pleading in his eyes, but the adviser-to-be refused to move. "Perhaps you'll get your wish in due time. For now, the pair of you focus, especially you Prince Noctis," Both Gladio and Noctis just groaned. Despite being young the three of them had their work cut out for them.

"Specs you gotta take Gladio on- He'll keep calling you a four-eyed nerd if you don't," No matter how much Noctis begged, Ignis stood his ground, remaining passive about the prospect. "For now I'm to do nothing more than observe. You'll both get what you want in time, though you'll be occupied with school and won't be there to see it," Noctis looked distraught at the mention of school. It was the weekend at the moment so he didn't have to worry but… Monday was coming. "Hmph. I'll get Gladio to video it, then I'll have blackmail for years~" Noctis nudged Ignis' elbow jokingly, a wide grin on his face that disappeared as the car pulled into the driveway. "Do I have to go home? Can I come see your house?" Though it was a harmless question Noctis knew the answer would be no. He was aware Ignis didn't live with his uncle but he never knew where exactly his friend did live and it made him curious. "Another time perhaps. I'll see you tomorrow Prince Noctis, after all, I have to help you with your homework, no?" The Prince just giggled and hopped out of the car, making his way up the steps with a little drag in his pace.

Gladio ended up getting his wish. Ignis had been instructed to train with him at least twice a week, no doubt the Shield would enjoy being able knock his new rival around. "Really? You're gonna use those? Why not use a sword or lance- A mace even?" Gladio seemed puzzled by Ignis' choice in weapon, two lightweight daggers, compared to his large greatsword. "Battles aren't always won with brute strength Gladiolus, besides, I'm smaller and lighter than you. It makes sense for me to use every advantage, weapons included," The larger boy looked slightly offended but it was true. Where Gladio was a broad, tall boy, Ignis was thin and short. Though to be fair he was also 2 years younger than the Shield. "Your funeral four-eyes, I'll go easy on you since it's your first spar," Gladio readied his weapon, Ignis took on a defensive stance and barely managed to dodge the first blow, aimed at his head. "Might wanna lose the glasses, don't wanna break 'em," It was apparent Gladio thought Ignis had poor eyesight but how wrong he was. The glasses were purely so that the boy could see perfectly, his vision was fine without them. Nonetheless, Ignis put them in his locker, he was fond and protective of them after all. Gladio kept an assertive tone while practically barking criticisms and insults at Ignis, trying to break the calm mask the younger boy wore so naturally, pushing him to the breaking point with rattling attacks that tested Ignis' agility and stamina simultaneously. Now it was understandable why Noctis was always reluctant to attend his training sessions, he'd rather do his homework.

"Done already? Dunno what I expected to be honest, you're scrawny and short like Noct, but he gets angry and fights back. You're too timid," Gladio stood staring down at Ignis, exhausted and panting, on the verge of snapping from his partners incessant taunting. "Silent treatment, huh? At least one of us can fight, we're done here," It takes a lot to anger Ignis, even being a 15 year old he could control his temper, to an extent. Gladio had found every single button and pushed them repeatedly, at the expense of an eyebrow. The larger boy stumbled back in shock, nursing minor burns on his fingers and looking plain dumbfounded. Though despite his sparring partner being practically engulfed in flames, Gladio looked more than willing to accept the challenge. "Alright flame boy, let's go, you owe me a new eyebrow," Things got considerably more interesting now that Ignis' mask had broken, his movements were faster and less timid, not to mention the added fire. In a literal sense. By the end of the day both boys were covered in bruises and completely worn out, so much so that Gladio had to take Ignis home to his uncle after passing out. That explanation was pretty awkward needless to say, 'Hey I was training your nephew and kicked his ass so much he actually burst into flames and returned the favour,' It sounds hardly believable, so the boy just said that he'd passed out from exhaustion.

Though the next day while Gladio was training with Noct, Ignis turned up as though nothing happened, given that the oldest boy was clearly distracted for the remainder of Noct's session. "Hey big guy- You're slacking. Something wrong?" Noct whispered in case there really was something wrong but Gladio just shook his head. "Nothing. I wanna talk to four-eyes for a sec, hit the shower will you? You stink," After a bit of a shove Noct did as he was told, rather curious as to why Gladio of all people would want to talk to Ignis but not so much that he'd question it. "Oi four-eyes, wanna explain what you did yesterday? Iris made fun of me for hours," The clueless bespeckled boy just looked at him in confusion. "I beg your pardon? If it's about your lack of an eyebrow I have nothing to do with it," Out of frustration Gladio hauled Ignis to his feet by the scruff of his shirt. "You're telling me you don't remember radiating flames and singed my eyebrow off?" The shorter boy just frowned in disapproval, pulling his collar out of the others grip. "That's exactly what I'm saying. Seems as though you spend too much time here, you're delirious," Gladio looked ready to use force to get the answer he wanted but relented and stepped back, muttering under his breath as he walked away. "Ready to go? I've gotta get home, homework…" Noct looked to Ignis expectantly from the doorway, waiting his adviser-to-be caught up so they could walk together. Finally alone Gladio began thinking back to yesterday, strictly speaking the scrawny boy he pushed around couldn't have the capacity to use magic but, if the events of yesterday were anything to go by… It wasn't impossible, it seems as though the Prince has a peculiar babysitter. Strangely he found more interest in the Chamberlain than the Prince, Noct would have powers unparallel to his own but he's royalty so it makes sense, a common boy with no royal ties using magic unknowingly was more than intriguing.

A couple of years later

"Yo Iggy, wanna help me study?~" Ignis just sighed at the hopelessness of his friends. Namely Prompto and Noct, Gladio wasn't hopeless per se, at least he asked for help. "Not particularly but if it means you'll pass, I'll oblige," Prompto groaned and laid his head on his book, he felt it was unfair that all of them excluding Ignis had exams next week. "Why don't you have tests Iggy...?It's totally unfair! Actually- Why don't you go to school?" The largest of the group slapped him on the back, Prompto jumping up with a high-pitched yelp. "'Cause he's a smartass. Didn't you know this guy already has like college level grades? Special education for extreme nerds," Being the newest and more normal of the group Prompto was clueless to the inner workings of the others lives. "That's hardly the case. You know exactly why I do not attend school like you three, Prompto, besides one of us needs to be rational in this group and my education simply prepares me for it," The blonde boy just looked blankly at Noct, almost like he was asking for help. "I'll explain it in English… We're all dumbasses and Specs got special schooling for helping me in the future," Gladio threw his pen in Noct's direction but missed tremendously. "Not all of us are dumbasses, just you two," Bickering was common for these four, as it is for every group of friends at some point, but these would escalate into fights. Usually between Noct and Gladio. "Hey- I got Iggy to think for me, I don't need school," Despite Noctis being 15, he was still as arrogant as a child, not that he's much older than one. But with Gladio being 18, Ignis 17 and Prompto being 15 too, there wasn't much to work with. "Noct, I'm not going to do your homework for you, nor will I be thinking for you. No lunch until you're finished, all of you," Noct quickly joined Prompto in laying with his head on his book.

It wasn't often the 4 of them met at Gladio's house because of Iris but today was a rare exception, since she was at a friends until later on and Clarus was always home late. "Guys it's getting late, Cor's outside waiting so I gotta go," Noct packed his things, packed meaning jammed into his backpack, Ignis looked ready to join until Noctis shook his head. "Gladio needs your help, I'll see you tomorrow. Need a lift Prompto?" The lively boy immediately packed up and grabbed his coat, "See you later guys, hey Iggy, thanks for the help. I might actually pass maths~" Ignis gave a nod of approval and sat back down. "Should you require anymore help, you have my phone number," Prompto grinned widely, heading out with Noct. "So… Blondy has your number but I don't?" There was an apparent sound of offense in his tone. "You never asked for it. Why do you sound so offended? It's not as though you need it," The bleakness of Ignis' reply just seemed to further annoy him. "You never offered it, what if I want it?" Ignis rolled his eyes and with a bit of reluctance grabbed Gladio's hand hand, writing his phone number on his palm. The elder just looked sort of confused but content. "That was easier than I expected, gives me an excuse the annoy the crap outta you now," Ignis didn't reply- or even give an indication he'd heard him- Instead just continued reading his book.

"Hey- Want me to give you… A ride home," Gladio looked over at Ignis who had fallen asleep, glasses lopsided from where he was leaning on his hand and hair stuck up on one side. He sighed and tried to decide whether or not to wake him up, ultimately he decided against it, picking him up as carefully as he could so not to wake him and carried him to his room. Though Ignis would probably have an aneurysm about it tomorrow, it was better than the couch at least, oddly enough the young man found himself staring at his sleeping companion. Needless to say Gladio had a newfound interest in the boy after their sparring issue a couple of years ago, though there was something calming about seeing the normally stotic boy so relaxed, even if he is unconscious. He looked at his palm where Ignis' number was written, the perfect handwriting looked odd against calloused hands, a reminder of the difference between the two of them. Rather than sit beside his friend, since it was odd, Gladio retreated to the couch and made himself comfortable enough to sleep or at least nap. A little while later Gladio awoke to Iris poking him, it was past midnight at this point. "Hey, what're you doing on the couch? You're room is just there lazy butt," She was about to open his door until Gladio threw a pillow at her, shaking his head with a finger to his lips. "Ooo~ Gladi got a girl round? Finally gonna tell me her name?" Iris naturally assumed her brother was interested in a girl, he never explicitly revealed he'd met someone nor had he for that matter but he might be interested in someone. "No and no. Just- Go to bed, it's late and you've got school," She pouted and moved away from the door, still curious as to who he was hiding in there but, she did as she was told and scurried upstairs. Gladio didn't move until he heard her door close, opening his own door as quietly as possible. Ignis was still sound asleep, laid on his side with half his face covered by the duvet. Just before he was going to leave, he heard Ignis muttering something inaudible, Gladio quickly figured out the boy talks in his sleep.

By the time Gladio woke up the next morning Iris had gone to school and even Clarus had stopped by briefly. When he went to check on Ignis he found the bed neatly made with a note, the handwriting made it apparent who left it.

Gladiolus,

Apologies for leaving without saying goodbye or expressing my gratitude for allowing me to spend the night. I believe I'm scheduled to train with you later, allow me to treat you to dinner afterwards, think of it as me thanking you.

Ignis.

Gladio clicked his tongue and put the note on his desk, a change of clothes is in order before anything else. So once he'd showered, changed and eaten, Gladio headed out to the training hall. It was a lot later than he imagined so he was actually a little late for Noct's session but not that it would matter to the Prince, the less beating he took the happier he would be.

"Not like you to be late, shoulda asked Iggy to take me home already," Noctis was sat on the bench with his GameBoy, Ignis sat in the corner with his textbooks surrounding him as well as various notes from meetings he attended for Noct. "Yeah well, I overslept, no missing out on an ass-whooping for you. Iggy- You're next," Both boys looked overjoyed at the prospect, though the sounds of Noct grunting and yelping from getting his ass-kicked was enough to deter anyone from trying to spar Gladio. Prompto was the lucky one, he was able to train with firearms at a firing range, occasionally with other Glaives to give him some moving targets and combat simulation. "By the way Noctis, you'll be going to the library to study, not directly home," Noct just groaned and remained laid on the floor, panting like a dog and in a foul mood. For at least an hour Gladio repeatedly floored the Prince until he finally gave up. "C'mon Ignis- It's time to switch," Checking his watch before speaking, Ignis closed his notepad and rose to his feet, Noct perking up immediately. "I'll take you to the library, someone else will pick you up in a couple of hours, please behave. I don't want to have to apologise to the librarian for your behaviour again," Gladio snickered but quietened down when he received an icy glare from both Noct and Ignis.

Not half an hour later Ignis had returned, seemingly prepared for whatever beating he was in for from Gladio, he'd even left his glasses in the car. "Man, I was falling asleep waiting for you to get back. By the way- Y'know you talk in your sleep?" While Gladio was grinning, Ignis was looking very embarrassed. "I was unaware. I'm sorry for falling asleep by the way… I didn't intend to stay that long," The older boy just waved a hand and set his weapon aside, the wooden one anyway. "Don't sweat it, it wasn't a problem and you said you'd make up for it, I ain't gonna argue with you," Even though Gladio had put his sword down, Ignis was still on guard in case the other decided to catch him off guard. "Indeed and a wise choice. Though, might I ask why you were watching me sleep? That's quite odd, even for you…" In a split second Gladio had gone from smug to embarrassed. "I uh- I moved you to my bed, the couch didn't seem comfy for you and… I kinda checked on you before I went to sleep," That was the easiest and less revealing explanation. Had he told Ignis that he found him cute asleep… He'd never hear the end of it. And things would be awkward. It's not a lie but not the whole truth either. "I see… If you require my help again I'll have to leave earlier," Both boys looked ready to defend at any time, even though neither were going to attack yet. "Y'know, I hear Noct talking about your cooking sometimes, tell you what. You manage to land a scratch on me, I'll buy you a coffee and if not, you cook me something. Deal?" While it may not be what Ignis had in mind, it wasn't a bad deal, the stakes were low at least. "Make it 2 and you have a deal," Gladio clicked his tongue and grinned, picking up his wooden sword and swinging it on his shoulder. The older man was at a slight disadvantage, using a greatsword was slow but powerful, with the other using daggers and speed to his every advantage. Unfortunately Gladio skidded over and knocked Ignis' feet out from under him so he fell forwards. "Hey Iggy, you always keep a knife in your pants?" The blonde boy instantly went red-faced when he realised the situation, attempting to flee but Gladio grabbed his wrist and pulled him back on to his lap, both hands locked firmly around either wrist. "Please let go of me, I'd rather not be further humiliated," Despite Ignis' request and pleading look, Gladio didn't loosen his grip at all. "I wasn't laughing. 'Ey look at me- No reason to be so embarrassed Iggy," The slight reassurance didn't have the desired outcome, Ignis still struggled to free himself. "Let go, please…" With a heavy sign Gladio released his grip and the boy fell backwards, scrambling to his feet and grabbing his backpack before leaving swiftly.

"Jeez, you finally picked up,"

"Do you need something or is this a social call? I'm slightly busy at the moment,"

"You're always busy. I need to talk to you, I wanna talk about earlier,"

"There's nothing to talk about,"

"Mhm. So you totally didn't like falling on me? I think there's something you're not telling me,"

"Think what you like, there's nothing I wish to tell you,"

"Where are you?"

"Why? In fact- I'm not telling you,"

"I'm coming to find you and we're gonna talk about it, like it or not stubborn-ass. Maybe I'll just ask Noct? I'm guessing you just dropped him home so…"

"Don't you dare… Actually- Fine. If you want to talk then we'll talk. I assume you know where I live so meet me there in an hour,"

Ignis hung up before Gladio could confirm it, true though he did know where Ignis lived, it wasn't far from his own house so he'd be able to leave 10 minutes beforehand. Now he thought about it, he probably should have given this talk real thought, Ignis could be relentless with his words and not bat an eye during an argument because he knew how to win. Much like when the pair of them spar, Gladio may have more combat prowess and a bigger build but it didn't matter when Ignis is smarter and faster, the opposite of Noct for sure. It seems like it was a bad idea to have called him out about it now.

Gladio reached the block of flats Ignis stayed at just as the boy was turning the corner, his nose buried in a book even now. That's when Gladio had the bright idea to try and scare him, sneaking behind the block through an alley and waiting in the shadows, "Don't even think about it. You're very heavy footed if you didn't already know," Ignis glanced up from his book briefly, Gladio grinning in minor embarrassment. "Yeah well- It was worth a try, so, what am I doing here? Coulda just come to the citadel y'know," Gladio followed the younger boy through the door and up the stairs, this was definitely different from what he was used to seeing. These flats seemed more like dormitories than apartments, though since Ignis was technically still a student it was appropriate. "I was working and besides, I also owe you a cooked meal don't I? Two birds, one stone," It took a second for that to register with Gladio but he didn't argue back. Upon entering Ignis' room he felt an overlooming sadness, it wasn't much of a room for a teenage boy. It was basic and bare, it looked barely lived in as well but the piles of books in the corner, neatly stacked mind you, and the full bookshelf definitely made it home for Ignis. Not that he was actually here often enough to call it home, he was at the citadel working or with Noctis most of the time, the only time he was here was to sleep and maybe make dinner depending on the time he returned. "We need to get you a poster, y'know, brighten this place up a bit with more than a flower," Gladio sat on the desk and watched as Ignis put his things away. "Do you mind if I change clothes?" That didn't sound like a real question but the expectant look that came with it said otherwise. "Uh- Sure? It's your room so… I'll turn around hang on," He moved from the desk to the chair and swivelled around to look out of the window, hearing the rustling of clothes and the faint sound as they fell to the floor. "Shall we? The kitchen is likely to be empty at this time," He turned around and was slightly shocked at how much a change of clothes could change how someone looked. Ignis had changed out of his usually formal attire into a simple t-shirt and shorts, amusingly the back of his hair was sticking up where he'd taken off his undershirt.

"Where'd you learn to make pizza?" While Gladio was snooping around the kitchen and living room area, Ignis had prepared him something simple to eat. "There's something called a recipe book, you might learn a thing or two if you read one. I had to learn to cook for Noctis… Now, that's one thing off the agenda, you wanted to talk?" Secretly jealous of Noct getting cooked meals that were brilliant to say the least, Gladio sat back in the chair and waiting for Ignis to sit, given that he showed no signs of doing so. "Gonna sit or stand there like a pleb?" Reluctantly Ignis sat in the chair opposite, the way they sat were almost opposites, one formal and reserved, the other open and relaxed. "Well first off, I get the whole horny teenager thing, trust me," Ignis visibly cringed at Gladio's choice of words. "Must you be so crude? That fiasco was embarrassing enough without your choice in phrasing to explain it," That only put a sly grin on the others face, one Ignis grew weary of very quickly. "C'mon it's totally natural, dumb and dumber probably get it worse than you or me 'cause they're younger so chill out. Secondly, something you wanna tell me? As to why that happened?" A blush started creeping its way onto Ignis' cheeks that only got worse when Gladio came and leaned over him. "No. Nothing…" A large hand came to rest on one of his cheeks and he instantly froze, staring up into mischievous brown eyes as his head was tilted upwards. "Well that's a lie, you're blushing. Y'know I never thought you were able to feel like that, you're always so reserved and collected, hidden behind that mask you wear all too well. What happens if I break it? I've done it once and I'll do it again, this time for a different reason," Truthfully Ignis had never felt emotions such as this because he was taught not to. He was always told to do his job first without letting his feelings get in the way, one of the reasons the boy was so overwhelmed by what had happened and what was happening. "What are you trying to do? What do you want from me, hm?" His voice was uncharacteristically shaky and Gladio could tell his plan was working. "I just want you to fess up and I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen," He stole Ignis' glasses and held them out of the boys reach with a taunting smile. "Fess up or I'm keeping 'em," Ignis just scowled and thought for a moment about how to get them back without resorting to violence or confessing. "Well what will you do if I do relent? Or if I don't?" At this point Ignis was on his feet, waiting for an answer before making his choice. "That depends. If I'm involved, we'll see, if not you can have 'em back and I'll forget about it. But if you don't tell me, I'll have to get more creative," That didn't leave much of a choice to the boy. Although what he did do seemed to surprise Gladio more than himself. On his tiptoes Ignis caught Gladio of guard in a kiss that seemed to confirm any suspicions, he threw the glasses on to the chair and locked his fingers in the blonde hair, his other hand gripped the t-shirt. Strangely the scars from the burns tingled but not in a bad way, seems as though Ignis wasn't the only one that needed to say something.

Desperate to breathe Ignis pulled away and took a deep breath, Gladio was practically speechless, shamelessly he'd kissed many people but nothing compared to that. "Satisfied? I think that was more than appropriate," Gladio was actually struggling to comprehend his own feelings now, before he'd liked Ignis sure but this was something else, something more than just a crush. "Hardly say satisfied but… I got my answer," The longer Gladio stared at the smaller boy, the more he found appealing. Bright green eyes with flecks of blue, unruly dirty blonde hair, fair skin… Even his eyebrows were perfect. It was enough to make his heart jump in his chest, despite not knowing a lot about this boy he'd go as far as to say he loved him, the mystery was a bonus. "Why are you staring at me like that?" Ignis waved a hand in front of Gladio's face and he snapped out of his thoughts, "Uh my bad… I got one last question but, I want you to think about it, 'cause it's kinda crazy…" Ignis just looked up at him with an eyebrow raised and his arms crossed. "I think I know where this is going, allow me to save you the embarrassment. I'll think about it," Gladio smiled and this time it was genuine rather than having some other implication. "Well it's getting late so I'd better go, I owe you 2 coffees by the way so… Meet me at the cafe tomorrow? When you're free that is," Ignis thought about it for a second and nodded with a small smile. "Take this with you, just return the plate when you get the chance," He covered the leftover pizza with tinfoil and handed it to Gladio, who grinned appreciatively before he headed out. Ignis looked around the room to see if there was anything that needed tidying up before he went to bed, going over the events of today which amounted to it being one of the strangest days of his life so far.

A year later

"Oi! Gladio! Where's Specs?" Noct came barging into the training hall, Prompto on his heels but looking weary of being in the citadel. "You think I know? He's your babysitter, phone him," Rather angrily Noctis showed the list of missed calls to Ignis, a child-like scowl plastered on his face. "'Cause you two seem pretty chummy, what you bury him for kicking your ass? C'mon… I need help studying and Prompto's hopeless," The blonde boy whined and punched Noct's shoulder playfully. "Well I ain't seen him since this morning, study on your own for once, teachers are a thing and so's a library," Noct rolled his eyes and grabbed Prompto's arm, the pair of them leaving as quickly as they arrived. Gladio rose from the bench to his locker, Ignis stumbling out when it opened with his hands bound and mouth covered with tape. "What? Hey- Don't you glare at me- You wanna help Prince dumbass study all the time?" He peeled off the tape as gently as he could but Ignis didn't relent in glaring coldly. "I'm supposed to help, that's my job, surprisingly being restrained and hidden in your locker or the closet isn't, nor is it enjoyable," While Ignis looked irritated, Gladio was grinning slyly. "Well I could tie you up somewhere else, don't think you'd hate that idea to be honest," The younger man simply raised an eyebrow and tried pushing his glasses back up. "Beg your pardon? If you're not going to let me do my job, can you at least untie me?" Gladio rolled his eyes and untied the bindings, tossing the rope into his locker and pushing it shut. "So you wanna use real weapons this time?" A mischievous glint appeared in Ignis' eyes and the click of a lock turned Gladio's attention to the cuffs locking him to the pole behind him. "You-" Ignis held a finger against his lips to quieten him. "I have a Prince to find and you… Have a key to find," The blonde slung his bag over his shoulder and winked at the dumbfounded Gladio, flashing a seeming innocent grin before taking his leave. "Hey! Get your ass back here! I'll get you back…" Hopeless and apprehensive, he sat on the bench as comfortably as he could.

Prompto perked up as soon as Ignis appeared walking down the hallway, Noct realising and giving a hefty sigh of relief. "Specs! Where've you been?" Both boys bundled Ignis, mockingly crying like children. "Apologies, I had a prior engagement that took longer than expected. Gladio told me you were looking for me," Noct and Prompto let go of Ignis and returned to their seats. "Noct needed help with his maths," The Prince stuck his tongue out at his blonde friend who, now, wore a huge grin on his face. "Shut up- You need help too! Oh- I should tell you now you're here- I'm staying at Prompto's to study tonight so don't worry about going to my apartment tonight. I swear it's clean!" Noct sounded sincere but Ignis wasn't entirely convinced. "I'm not sure it's to my standard of tidy… But if you insist. Do you require me to drive you home or to Prompto's? Both of you that is," Prompto didn't seem fussed either way but knowing Noct's habit of being lazy, it was likely Ignis would give them a lift. "A lift to Prompto's wouldn't go amiss, cheers Iggy," For the remainder of the afternoon Ignis helped the pair of them with their homework, as well as giving Noctis his notepad with notes from the recent council meetings.


	3. Last Words

p class="MsoNormal" No matter how fast they sprinted, they knew they were too late. Ravus had taken them as far as he could without compromising his position, the rest was up to them, given that they were at a disadvantage as time was against them and their missing friend. Vaulting and climbing over the debris and fallen pieces of pillars and flooring they raced to find their lost friend, the only indication he was here being Ravus' word and the signs of battle. No sooner had Ignis' last words left him did the trio finally find him, Ardyn nowhere to be seen and an eerie stillness in the air./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Ignis!" Noct's voice trembled as he scrambled to his fallen friend, Gladio and Prompto not far behind him and just as desperate to see that he was okay, though the sight before them gave them little hope. While Noct and Prompto attempted to shake him awake, Gladio stood to the side and tried his best to hold back his tears much unlike the other two./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Is he…? What the hell was he thinking?" Prompto sank to his knees and buried his face in his hands, Noct took Ignis' hand and slid off the ring as the guilt started eating away at him. He knew exactly what his friend had done and why he'd done it but, he felt responsible for this, had he been stronger Ignis wouldn't have felt obliged to go this far to protect him. Although all three of the Prince's companions had made an oath to protect him with their lives, he never thought it would come to that and certainly not like this./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"This is my fault. I- I wasn't strong enough," Prompto and Gladio both glanced at Noct, clearly hearing the undeniable guilt in his voice. "Cut the crap. We all knew what we signed up for, Iggy most of all, you woulda died without him so he did his job," Incidentally, Gladio handled situations like this by covering his sadness with anger, unfortunately it was aimed at all three of them./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Guys… We're all to blame, we shoulda never split up, we all shoulda gone to help you," Prompto's voice was quiet as he returned his gaze to his fallen friend, eyes red and cheeks tear stained./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Noct rolled Ignis onto his back and instantly felt tears welling up again, seeing the scars marring his friends face was enough to break him, as well as Prompto and Gladio. Even the Shield couldn't hold it together much longer. After a moment of silence Noct rose to his feet to face the crystal down the bridge, Prompto's gaze followed him for a second before he too stood up./p  
p class="MsoNormal""You better be ready Noct. Don't let Ignis die in vain, don't you dare waste his sacrifice- Or anyone else's," Gladio kept a stern tone, vastly different to Prompto's quietness./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Wait- Think about this Noct, we need you," The gunman grabbed Noct's arm and looked to Gladio for help, who of which just looked away with a scowl on his face./p  
div style="mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"  
p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;""I won't waste it; he was my friend too y'know. I'm sorry Prom… It's now or never," Noct wrenched his arm from Prompto's grip, warping towards the crystal and taking one last looked at his friends, his heart sinking every time he glanced at his fallen comrade./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;" /p  
/div  
p class="MsoNormal" /p  
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"A few weeks later/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" /p  
p class="MsoNormal"Gladio sat by the campfire, just staring into the flames with little consideration for his surroundings, no concern for the daemons that might attack him. With Noct and Ignis gone and Prompto staying around Hammerhead, he was often alone in his hunts and endeavours, although he did have one comfort that was also a sad reminder. Wrapped around his wrist was Ignis' necklace. Now that the daylight was pretty much non-existent, Gladio would often be seen hunting to pass the time, waiting for Noct to come back so they could finally end this madness./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Often, he would be camping at one of the old havens and when he wasn't hunting, he'd be sitting at camp reminiscing about the past or leaving voicemails on Ignis' phone, even though there was no way the adviser would ever be able to listen to them. He never really knew why he did it, there was just some comfort in hearing the voice on the receiver. Little did he know a certain someone was watching over him, unable to be seen, felt or heard, but he was there and always would be./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Hey… I don't really know why I keep doing this. I know you're not gonna be able to listen to them or pick up but- I guess it's my way of coping. If I can even call it that. With the sun finally gone now it's just dark all the time, I never thought it'd happen but there you go. Where ever you are, I hope it's better than here man, you'd have an aneurism I swear, everything's pretty much the way you hated it," Gladio paused for a second, listening for the sound of… Well anything. "On the brightside, Prompto's still kicking and his optimism knows no bounds, he's even confessed to Cindy, but she turned him down for now. Look, I know you can't hear me, but I need you, now more than ever Specs. I miss you," He hesitantly ended the message, looking at how many calls he'd made and felt foolish for keeping it up./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Beside him Ignis sat staring at the fire with little interest, he'd heard every message his friend left, and it hurt more everyday to know he was needed. He looked no different to when the others found him, burns marking his body and his hair and clothes a dishevelled mess, even the afterlife was distasteful and unrelenting./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Being a ghost of sorts wasn't at all what the adviser had intended but he was drawn to the things his friends kept, keeping an eye on his friends was important, more important than moving on in fact. Sometimes he wished he were able to interact with his friends, even if they only knew he was there it would be enough, it might make them more cheerful to know that he was still around. Plus walking around without being seen or heard is enough to drive even the sanest of people crazy./p  
p class="MsoNormal"While he was staring at the fire, Gladio remembered walking out of Gralea. Ignis' lifeless body in his arms because he refused to leave him there, an arm under his knees and the other held his shoulders, head rested against Gladio's bare shoulder. To anyone else he might appear to be sleeping, but the once glorious green eyes would remain closed. Prompto was too busy having a break down so they left in silence, to say Gladio was hurting would be an understatement. It might sound odd to anyone else, but it really was a comfort having his necklace, it kept the of him memories alive. Not that he would ever be able to forget him. Ignis glanced over at his friend and sighed heavily, suddenly an idea popped into his head, he'd tried everything to communicate with Gladio except using the simplest thing. Paper and pen./p  
p class="MsoNormal"He stood up and searched for some sort of notepad and pen, thankfully there was one stashed in the tent and he recognised his own handwriting, Gladio had also kept his notepad of recipes, sigh of relief escaped when realised he could pick up the pen. If he could use the pen then perhaps, he could also touch the paper, experimentally he drew a simple smiley face on the paper and tore it from the notepad triumphantly, screwing it into a ball and throwing it at the back of Gladio's head./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Said man instantly turned around with utter confusion written on his face. "I'm not in the mood for games. Whoever you are, get your ass out here," Gladio narrowed his eyes at the tent and then picked up the paper ball, curiously unscrewing it only to be even more confused by the drawing, even as he entered the tent, he didn't get an answer. He grabbed a torch and started walking around the haven to look for tracks or something but, unsurprisingly found nothing, only another piece of paper left on his chair. This time a pair of glasses drawn on it./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Someone wake me up. There's no way… It's impossible. Iggy?" For the first time since he'd come back, Ignis smiled and felt relieved. Although Gladio's face had gone from confused to utterly shocked, the colour drained from his face as he looked directly at Ignis. "Fucking hell. I'm dreaming. You're not real," Gladio's voice wavered and he stepped towards his friend, reaching out a hand but looking more than disappointed when he felt nothing but air./p  
p class="MsoNormal""So, magic, daemons and Gods can exist, but ghosts can't? Did you ever actually listen to me?" In a second Gladio's jaw dropped and he fell on his backside, staring up at the apparition before him absolutely gobsmacked./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I just got sassed by a ghost… I'm losing my mind," He was talking like a mad man for sure. Ignis just stood there silently watching Gladio freak out with a little amusement, it was rare for the shield to act so distressed, if only Prompto were here to take a picture of it./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Are you done? You've been so brooding lately it's almost out of character," Gladio just sat there and glared./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Same old you huh? Just 'cause you're dead don't mean you can sass me, save that for Prompto or Noct, I'll still kick your ass somehow," Ignis clicked his tongue and kneeled down in front of Gladio, the shield not taking his eyes off his friend for a second, almost like he expected him to vanish./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I can do as I please. But I'm afraid, I cannot stay," A single tear rolled down Gladio's cheek and that had Ignis raising an eyebrow in confusion./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I missed you so much, but I didn't know just how much until now. What the hell were you thinking?!" That sudden outburst made Ignis fall backwards and Gladio was on his knees, staring intently at his friend until he answered./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Admittedly, I wasn't thinking rationally, but I did what had to be done, it gave Noct the time he needed didn't it? So why are you so angry? I can see it practically radiating off you," Angry would be an understatement, a very big understatement at that, furious might be the appropriate word./p  
p class="MsoNormal""You didn't need to die Iggy! You didn't need to do that; you were the smartest but made the stupidest choice! You- I had so much I needed to tell you, damn you!" While Ignis' expression didn't change, Gladio's went from pure anger to verging on tears and then back to irritated to hide it./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Would you rather dwell on the past and carry on moping like a child, or perhaps accept that it happened and move on? I certainly want to and I'm sure you do too, as a survivalist I half-expected you to travel in a group but here you are," Ignis' voice remained calm and collected after that brief offset, Gladio coming to his senses because of it./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Spare me the lecture. Iggy… We lost you and Noct in one day, I can accept he's gone 'cause he's coming back, but you're not. You expect me to just fucking forget about you?!" Gladio rose to his feet and stared down at his friend, who of which just remained silent and frowning./p  
p class="MsoNormal"A moment of silence passed and Gladio used it to regain his composure and sat back down in his seat. "That is exactly what I expect. Gladio you knew the risks- We all did, regardless of the losses we're to protect Noct," It was obvious Ignis didn't mean what he said, not entirely at least, nonetheless it still hurt the shield to hear. So once again there was a deafening silence, Ignis stood up and started pacing around the campfire, like he usually did when he was thinking or nervous./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I refuse, damn you! Forget about duty for a sec, will you?! That's what got you killed in the first place! I blamed Noct for so long because… If you hadn't felt the need to protect him, you wouldn't have needed to use that fucking ring, or- Go with Ardyn to Gralea for fucks sake!" With every word Gladio said his voice sounded more and more furious, Ignis paused his pacing to look at his friend with a pained expression./p  
p class="MsoNormal""You seem to misunderstand my intentions. I knew full well what I was doing, reckless yes, I admit, and not thought out. Don't blame Noct for my mistake but, had I done nothing he would have died and then where would we be?" Gladio could do naught but glare, had he been able to he would've punched Ignis for saying that. Instead he threw an icy glare towards the other and clenched his jaw./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Ignis… I had something I wanted to ask you. I was waiting until after all this was over, then I decided I was gonna ask you in Altissia… But you had to go and be the hero," Gladio forced himself to hold back his tears, remembering the events as clearly as though it was yesterday and reliving the pain all over again. Ignis on the other hand looked devastated, staring at the flames of the fire to distract himself from his thoughts and from his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Back in the days before the fall of Insomnia, before they were set to roll out on their road trip, by 13 Gladio had fallen head over heels for Ignis. At 17 he plucked up the courage to tell him how he felt, given that Ignis was almost always stoic and intimidating even as a boy. The memory of that day was still so vivid it made him feel like it was just yesterday. The young Shield didn't intend to love his best friend and in fact he didn't intend to fall in love with anyone, especially not that early on in his life, but despite that he didn't regret it nor despise his feelings at all. Not once./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Gladio… I'm sorry, truly. However, I do not regret my decision, merely that it ended in such a way," Ignis spoke quietly, fearful of his own words./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Damn you Iggy. I hated you for what you did- For leaving me like that- It was my job to protect Noct. He's gonna need you when he comes back-" Gladio paused for a moment to gauge Ignis' reactions but the man remained passive. "Y'know what I was gonna ask you? After all this shit blew over?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Ignis huffed and glanced at Gladio momentarily. "Unfortunately, I'm clueless as to what your referring to," Green eyes narrowed as he stared at the Shield, awaiting an answer or a quip of some kind./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Well- I always just joked about it back in the day but- This time it was gonna be for real. I uh- I was gonna ask you to marry me," Gladio fell silent and there was an eerie vibe to it, it may have been the darkness and sounds of daemons in the distance but it just made the Shield all the more nervous, given that Ignis couldn't well answer now. At least not in a way that it would matter, he's gone and not coming back, not for real anyways./p  
p class="MsoNormal""There aren't enough words I can use to apologise but know that I'll be waiting for you when the time comes, perhaps then you can make good on that," Ignis said, the underlying guilt apparent in his voice. Even so, Gladio couldn't help but smile at the slight optimism, however he knew there was a catch./p  
p class="MsoNormal"The Shield turned away from the fire to look at Ignis again, fighting the urge to try and embrace him or let his tears fall freely. "I get the feeling it ain't that easy, you ain't telling me something Iggy, spill it."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""You're sharper than I remember. I'd like to say it's simple but that's warrant another wave of abuse, you have to let me go, Gladio." To Ignis' own dismay he could feel tears pricking in his eyes, confused as to how that's possible but not so distracted to let them fall willingly. Even in death he felt it unseemly to cry in front of another./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Bullshit. I just got you back and now you're telling me to let you go? I thought I made it obvious how I feel about that. Y'know how happy Prompto would be to see you? Noct?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of time, so I'd prefer if they didn't know. I'm not asking you as a colleague or out of a sense of duty, I'm asking you because it'll be easier for us both. I don't want to leave knowing you're still grieving and feeling guilty, and I don't want you not knowing I'll be waiting for you on the other end if you let go, because until you do I'm here and likely invisible to you."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Once again Gladio had to fight himself for control over his emotions, this time he was losing the battle. "I'm done fighting Iggy. I've got nothing left now, holding onto you was all that kept me going, even Noct couldn't make me fight if he was here. I guess… If it makes things easier… I still hate you though."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Ignis offered a small smile to lighten the mood but it was hopeless, Gladio had lost him once and now he was going to lose him all over again. "I wouldn't have it any other way, you know where I'll be, take care Gladio… Noct will need you so make sure you survive."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Gladio gave up his internal conflict and his tears fell freely down his cheeks, a bright blue light beside him made him wince until he realised what it was. Ignis was stood there, no longer a complete wreck and scarred, but clean and wound free, smiling despite the obviousness that he too was crying. He then disappeared in a similar way to their weapons, like a shattered crystal enveloped in a blue light, leaving Gladio alone once again and feeling hollower than before but a certain weight was lifted./p  
p class="MsoNormal" /p  
p class="MsoNormal" /p  
p class="MsoNormal" /p  
p class="MsoNormal" No matter how fast they sprinted, they knew they were too late. Ravus had taken them as far as he could without compromising his position, the rest was up to them, given that they were at a disadvantage as time was against them and their missing friend. Vaulting and climbing over the debris and fallen pieces of pillars and flooring they raced to find their lost friend, the only indication he was here being Ravus' word and the signs of battle. No sooner had Ignis' last words left him did the trio finally find him, Ardyn nowhere to be seen and an eerie stillness in the air./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Ignis!" Noct's voice trembled as he scrambled to his fallen friend, Gladio and Prompto not far behind him and just as desperate to see that he was okay, though the sight before them gave them little hope. While Noct and Prompto attempted to shake him awake, Gladio stood to the side and tried his best to hold back his tears much unlike the other two./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Is he…? What the hell was he thinking?" Prompto sank to his knees and buried his face in his hands, Noct took Ignis' hand and slid off the ring as the guilt started eating away at him. He knew exactly what his friend had done and why he'd done it but, he felt responsible for this, had he been stronger Ignis wouldn't have felt obliged to go this far to protect him. Although all three of the Prince's companions had made an oath to protect him with their lives, he never thought it would come to that and certainly not like this./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"This is my fault. I- I wasn't strong enough," Prompto and Gladio both glanced at Noct, clearly hearing the undeniable guilt in his voice. "Cut the crap. We all knew what we signed up for, Iggy most of all, you woulda died without him so he did his job," Incidentally, Gladio handled situations like this by covering his sadness with anger, unfortunately it was aimed at all three of them./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Guys… We're all to blame, we shoulda never split up, we all shoulda gone to help you," Prompto's voice was quiet as he returned his gaze to his fallen friend, eyes red and cheeks tear stained./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Noct rolled Ignis onto his back and instantly felt tears welling up again, seeing the scars marring his friends face was enough to break him, as well as Prompto and Gladio. Even the Shield couldn't hold it together much longer. After a moment of silence Noct rose to his feet to face the crystal down the bridge, Prompto's gaze followed him for a second before he too stood up./p  
p class="MsoNormal""You better be ready Noct. Don't let Ignis die in vain, don't you dare waste his sacrifice- Or anyone else's," Gladio kept a stern tone, vastly different to Prompto's quietness./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Wait- Think about this Noct, we need you," The gunman grabbed Noct's arm and looked to Gladio for help, who of which just looked away with a scowl on his face./p  
div style="mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"  
p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;""I won't waste it; he was my friend too y'know. I'm sorry Prom… It's now or never," Noct wrenched his arm from Prompto's grip, warping towards the crystal and taking one last looked at his friends, his heart sinking every time he glanced at his fallen comrade./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;" /p  
/div  
p class="MsoNormal" /p  
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"A few weeks later/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" /p  
p class="MsoNormal"Gladio sat by the campfire, just staring into the flames with little consideration for his surroundings, no concern for the daemons that might attack him. With Noct and Ignis gone and Prompto staying around Hammerhead, he was often alone in his hunts and endeavours, although he did have one comfort that was also a sad reminder. Wrapped around his wrist was Ignis' necklace. Now that the daylight was pretty much non-existent, Gladio would often be seen hunting to pass the time, waiting for Noct to come back so they could finally end this madness./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Often, he would be camping at one of the old havens and when he wasn't hunting, he'd be sitting at camp reminiscing about the past or leaving voicemails on Ignis' phone, even though there was no way the adviser would ever be able to listen to them. He never really knew why he did it, there was just some comfort in hearing the voice on the receiver. Little did he know a certain someone was watching over him, unable to be seen, felt or heard, but he was there and always would be./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Hey… I don't really know why I keep doing this. I know you're not gonna be able to listen to them or pick up but- I guess it's my way of coping. If I can even call it that. With the sun finally gone now it's just dark all the time, I never thought it'd happen but there you go. Where ever you are, I hope it's better than here man, you'd have an aneurism I swear, everything's pretty much the way you hated it," Gladio paused for a second, listening for the sound of… Well anything. "On the brightside, Prompto's still kicking and his optimism knows no bounds, he's even confessed to Cindy, but she turned him down for now. Look, I know you can't hear me, but I need you, now more than ever Specs. I miss you," He hesitantly ended the message, looking at how many calls he'd made and felt foolish for keeping it up./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Beside him Ignis sat staring at the fire with little interest, he'd heard every message his friend left, and it hurt more everyday to know he was needed. He looked no different to when the others found him, burns marking his body and his hair and clothes a dishevelled mess, even the afterlife was distasteful and unrelenting./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Being a ghost of sorts wasn't at all what the adviser had intended but he was drawn to the things his friends kept, keeping an eye on his friends was important, more important than moving on in fact. Sometimes he wished he were able to interact with his friends, even if they only knew he was there it would be enough, it might make them more cheerful to know that he was still around. Plus walking around without being seen or heard is enough to drive even the sanest of people crazy./p  
p class="MsoNormal"While he was staring at the fire, Gladio remembered walking out of Gralea. Ignis' lifeless body in his arms because he refused to leave him there, an arm under his knees and the other held his shoulders, head rested against Gladio's bare shoulder. To anyone else he might appear to be sleeping, but the once glorious green eyes would remain closed. Prompto was too busy having a break down so they left in silence, to say Gladio was hurting would be an understatement. It might sound odd to anyone else, but it really was a comfort having his necklace, it kept the of him memories alive. Not that he would ever be able to forget him. Ignis glanced over at his friend and sighed heavily, suddenly an idea popped into his head, he'd tried everything to communicate with Gladio except using the simplest thing. Paper and pen./p  
p class="MsoNormal"He stood up and searched for some sort of notepad and pen, thankfully there was one stashed in the tent and he recognised his own handwriting, Gladio had also kept his notepad of recipes, sigh of relief escaped when realised he could pick up the pen. If he could use the pen then perhaps, he could also touch the paper, experimentally he drew a simple smiley face on the paper and tore it from the notepad triumphantly, screwing it into a ball and throwing it at the back of Gladio's head./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Said man instantly turned around with utter confusion written on his face. "I'm not in the mood for games. Whoever you are, get your ass out here," Gladio narrowed his eyes at the tent and then picked up the paper ball, curiously unscrewing it only to be even more confused by the drawing, even as he entered the tent, he didn't get an answer. He grabbed a torch and started walking around the haven to look for tracks or something but, unsurprisingly found nothing, only another piece of paper left on his chair. This time a pair of glasses drawn on it./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Someone wake me up. There's no way… It's impossible. Iggy?" For the first time since he'd come back, Ignis smiled and felt relieved. Although Gladio's face had gone from confused to utterly shocked, the colour drained from his face as he looked directly at Ignis. "Fucking hell. I'm dreaming. You're not real," Gladio's voice wavered and he stepped towards his friend, reaching out a hand but looking more than disappointed when he felt nothing but air./p  
p class="MsoNormal""So, magic, daemons and Gods can exist, but ghosts can't? Did you ever actually listen to me?" In a second Gladio's jaw dropped and he fell on his backside, staring up at the apparition before him absolutely gobsmacked./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I just got sassed by a ghost… I'm losing my mind," He was talking like a mad man for sure. Ignis just stood there silently watching Gladio freak out with a little amusement, it was rare for the shield to act so distressed, if only Prompto were here to take a picture of it./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Are you done? You've been so brooding lately it's almost out of character," Gladio just sat there and glared./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Same old you huh? Just 'cause you're dead don't mean you can sass me, save that for Prompto or Noct, I'll still kick your ass somehow," Ignis clicked his tongue and kneeled down in front of Gladio, the shield not taking his eyes off his friend for a second, almost like he expected him to vanish./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I can do as I please. But I'm afraid, I cannot stay," A single tear rolled down Gladio's cheek and that had Ignis raising an eyebrow in confusion./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I missed you so much, but I didn't know just how much until now. What the hell were you thinking?!" That sudden outburst made Ignis fall backwards and Gladio was on his knees, staring intently at his friend until he answered./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Admittedly, I wasn't thinking rationally, but I did what had to be done, it gave Noct the time he needed didn't it? So why are you so angry? I can see it practically radiating off you," Angry would be an understatement, a very big understatement at that, furious might be the appropriate word./p  
p class="MsoNormal""You didn't need to die Iggy! You didn't need to do that; you were the smartest but made the stupidest choice! You- I had so much I needed to tell you, damn you!" While Ignis' expression didn't change, Gladio's went from pure anger to verging on tears and then back to irritated to hide it./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Would you rather dwell on the past and carry on moping like a child, or perhaps accept that it happened and move on? I certainly want to and I'm sure you do too, as a survivalist I half-expected you to travel in a group but here you are," Ignis' voice remained calm and collected after that brief offset, Gladio coming to his senses because of it./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Spare me the lecture. Iggy… We lost you and Noct in one day, I can accept he's gone 'cause he's coming back, but you're not. You expect me to just fucking forget about you?!" Gladio rose to his feet and stared down at his friend, who of which just remained silent and frowning./p  
p class="MsoNormal"A moment of silence passed and Gladio used it to regain his composure and sat back down in his seat. "That is exactly what I expect. Gladio you knew the risks- We all did, regardless of the losses we're to protect Noct," It was obvious Ignis didn't mean what he said, not entirely at least, nonetheless it still hurt the shield to hear. So once again there was a deafening silence, Ignis stood up and started pacing around the campfire, like he usually did when he was thinking or nervous./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I refuse, damn you! Forget about duty for a sec, will you?! That's what got you killed in the first place! I blamed Noct for so long because… If you hadn't felt the need to protect him, you wouldn't have needed to use that fucking ring, or- Go with Ardyn to Gralea for fucks sake!" With every word Gladio said his voice sounded more and more furious, Ignis paused his pacing to look at his friend with a pained expression./p  
p class="MsoNormal""You seem to misunderstand my intentions. I knew full well what I was doing, reckless yes, I admit, and not thought out. Don't blame Noct for my mistake but, had I done nothing he would have died and then where would we be?" Gladio could do naught but glare, had he been able to he would've punched Ignis for saying that. Instead he threw an icy glare towards the other and clenched his jaw./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Ignis… I had something I wanted to ask you. I was waiting until after all this was over, then I decided I was gonna ask you in Altissia… But you had to go and be the hero," Gladio forced himself to hold back his tears, remembering the events as clearly as though it was yesterday and reliving the pain all over again. Ignis on the other hand looked devastated, staring at the flames of the fire to distract himself from his thoughts and from his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Back in the days before the fall of Insomnia, before they were set to roll out on their road trip, by 13 Gladio had fallen head over heels for Ignis. At 17 he plucked up the courage to tell him how he felt, given that Ignis was almost always stoic and intimidating even as a boy. The memory of that day was still so vivid it made him feel like it was just yesterday. The young Shield didn't intend to love his best friend and in fact he didn't intend to fall in love with anyone, especially not that early on in his life, but despite that he didn't regret it nor despise his feelings at all. Not once./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Gladio… I'm sorry, truly. However, I do not regret my decision, merely that it ended in such a way," Ignis spoke quietly, fearful of his own words./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Damn you Iggy. I hated you for what you did- For leaving me like that- It was my job to protect Noct. He's gonna need you when he comes back-" Gladio paused for a moment to gauge Ignis' reactions but the man remained passive. "Y'know what I was gonna ask you? After all this shit blew over?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Ignis huffed and glanced at Gladio momentarily. "Unfortunately, I'm clueless as to what your referring to," Green eyes narrowed as he stared at the Shield, awaiting an answer or a quip of some kind./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Well- I always just joked about it back in the day but- This time it was gonna be for real. I uh- I was gonna ask you to marry me," Gladio fell silent and there was an eerie vibe to it, it may have been the darkness and sounds of daemons in the distance but it just made the Shield all the more nervous, given that Ignis couldn't well answer now. At least not in a way that it would matter, he's gone and not coming back, not for real anyways./p  
p class="MsoNormal""There aren't enough words I can use to apologise but know that I'll be waiting for you when the time comes, perhaps then you can make good on that," Ignis said, the underlying guilt apparent in his voice. Even so, Gladio couldn't help but smile at the slight optimism, however he knew there was a catch./p  
p class="MsoNormal"The Shield turned away from the fire to look at Ignis again, fighting the urge to try and embrace him or let his tears fall freely. "I get the feeling it ain't that easy, you ain't telling me something Iggy, spill it."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""You're sharper than I remember. I'd like to say it's simple but that's warrant another wave of abuse, you have to let me go, Gladio." To Ignis' own dismay he could feel tears pricking in his eyes, confused as to how that's possible but not so distracted to let them fall willingly. Even in death he felt it unseemly to cry in front of another./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Bullshit. I just got you back and now you're telling me to let you go? I thought I made it obvious how I feel about that. Y'know how happy Prompto would be to see you? Noct?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of time, so I'd prefer if they didn't know. I'm not asking you as a colleague or out of a sense of duty, I'm asking you because it'll be easier for us both. I don't want to leave knowing you're still grieving and feeling guilty, and I don't want you not knowing I'll be waiting for you on the other end if you let go, because until you do I'm here and likely invisible to you."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Once again Gladio had to fight himself for control over his emotions, this time he was losing the battle. "I'm done fighting Iggy. I've got nothing left now, holding onto you was all that kept me going, even Noct couldn't make me fight if he was here. I guess… If it makes things easier… I still hate you though."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Ignis offered a small smile to lighten the mood but it was hopeless, Gladio had lost him once and now he was going to lose him all over again. "I wouldn't have it any other way, you know where I'll be, take care Gladio… Noct will need you so make sure you survive."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Gladio gave up his internal conflict and his tears fell freely down his cheeks, a bright blue light beside him made him wince until he realised what it was. Ignis was stood there, no longer a complete wreck and scarred, but clean and wound free, smiling despite the obviousness that he too was crying. He then disappeared in a similar way to their weapons, like a shattered crystal enveloped in a blue light, leaving Gladio alone once again and feeling hollower than before but a certain weight was lifted./p 


End file.
